Appledashery

by Just Essay

The Breaking Point

Flam spun around, blinking curiously. "... ... ...huh."

"What's the matter, Flam-fella?" Flim tilted his head back to face him and finished adjusting the other stallion's collar. "Can't afford to be distracted now."

"I could have sworn I felt... felt..." Flam's mustached lips pursed as his eyes traced the edges of the concrete corridor, but he ultimately grunted. "Ehhh... just overthinking things."

"I'd say!" Flim winked, stepping back to adjust his own suit and collar. "Today's a moment of celebration! All of our problems are behind us!"

"Yes..." Flam nodded with a shuddering breath. "And, most importantly, behind Mother."

"Speaking of which." Flim gestured towards the door at the end of the passage. "We'd best be joining her. She needs our support more than anypony."

"Hmmm. Quite." Flam glanced aside as the two siblings trotted down the corridor. "And the Cider Princess?"

"Her purpose is sealed," Flim said.

"Yes indeed." Flam opened the door before them. A large, curved chamber appeared, with steps leading up to the brightly-lit world outside, where the thunderous noise of an anxious crowd loomed in waiting. Several servants dashed left and right, making sure everything was in its right place. In the center of the compartment, Queen Shindig could be seen speaking with a mare dressed in the finest white lace and refinery. Apple Jewell glanced over at her two brothers, smiled, and waved a hoof.

Flim and Flam waved back, looking handsome and dapper in their suits.

"We've got the tiara, right?" Flim spoke aside.

"Mother will receive it at the time rehearsed," Flam explained. "And then she will crown the Cider Princess."

"And her first act as Philanthropy's jewell?"

"We will escort her to the door," Flam said. "Or else we'll bring the door to her." He gestured. "The crown contains all of our combined memories, especially Mother's."

"You're certain that will summon Father's spirit?"

Flam took a deep breath. "If it doesn't... then all of this will be for nothing."

"Good thing we eliminated that blasted Blue Jay when we did."

"Hmmmph. Yes." Flam smirked as the two brothers trotted closer to the exit beneath the ampitheatre's stage. "A desperate cretin like that has no friends... her or beyond..."

As the two trotted off, a glittering shape shifted from where it loomed directly behind an elaborately bejewelled setpiece. The sphere shot up, avoiding everypony's gaze, and swiftly zipped up through the center exit at the base of the ampitheatre's stage.

---

Stu Leaves paced around in tight circles. Behind him, Gustave looked on, accompanied by several equine shapes in hiding. The group huddled in the bottom floor lobby of an apartment building. Through slitted windows, they gazed upon the central platform of Philanthropy. A huge crowd had formed around the ampitheatre, and the whole event was flanked with dozens upon hundreds of uniformed officers.

A doppelganger of Pinkie Pie whistled, catching Stu's attention. He trotted over and gazed out the window with her in time to see a sphere zipping their way. They opened the front door just long enough for Epcot to glide through.

The mare materialized, skidding to a stop and steadying herself against two Big Mac's. "They're just minutes away from starting the ceremony!" she exclaimed. "The two mortals—Frederick and Felix—must have imbued the crown with the memories of their mothers. I believe they intend to use it as bait to summon the spirit of their deceased father and direct it to Apple Jewell's dreamform."

"Blessed peaches!" Gustave grimaced. "Is such a thing possible?"

"I do not honestly know," Epcot said. "But, in any case, they are putting your friend Applejack's essence at great risk. If we should intervene, it must be now."

"Good." Stu took a deep breath. "No more waiting." He gestured. "Go pass word on to the rest of the group. We're rushing in as soon as she appears on stage."

"Wouldn't that put everyone out in the open?" Gustave said.

Stu frowned. "Flim and Flam have done all they could to ruin our day. Now we're about to ruin theirs." He punched his two hooves together. "I want their city full of panic and chaos, so that they can watch everything they've carefully built unravel before their very eyes as we steal their 'Cider Princess' back from them."

"Wow..." Epcot blinked. "That's vicious, conniving, and downright vindictive." She smiled. "I love it! I'm off to tell Mr. Joe and Ms. Mild!" Pinkie Pie held the door for her as she glided out. "Zoop!"

"Y'all hear that, ponyfolk?!" A Granny Smith shouted, balancing a ceramic bowl on her head. She swung a spatula about in the air. "We're gonna get our freckle pony back!"

The room filled with thunderous cheer.

Gustave leaned in towards Stu Leaves. "These ponies are very passionate, but how do we know that it's enough?"

"All I need is for them to cut us a path to Applejack," Stu Leaves said. "The rest is up to us."

"And are we enough?"

Stu gritted his teeth. "One way or another... Rainbow Dash is going to seal the deal."

"But how do we know that? She isn't even here?"

"Never doubt loyalty..." Stu smirked. "Especially when there's a spotlight to be had."

Comments

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

Sweet!
i.imgur.com/DUQ9UTw.png

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

He gestured. "The crown contains all of our combined memories, especially Mother's."

"The two mortals—Frederick and Felix—must have imbued the crown with the memories of their mothers. I believe they intend to use it as bait to summon the spirit of their deceased father and direct it to Apple Jewell's dreamform."

So that's how they plan to do it, huh?!

Too bad their little scheme is about to come crashing down around their collective ears! Hard!!!

"Good thing we eliminated that blasted Blue Jay when we did."
"Hmmmph. Yes." Flam smirked as the two brothers trotted closer to the exit beneath the ampitheatre's stage. "A desperate cretin like that has no friends... her or beyond..."

Ohhhhhhh, boy! Are you two spitwad losers ever in for the shock of your miserable, worthless lives in a little bit!

"Never doubt loyalty..." Stu smirked. "Especially when there's a spotlight to be had."

Truer words were never spoken.

Especially since Loyalty is on her way, and, consequently, there's a world of hurt heading Flim and Flam's way.

[zaponator]

It almost feels weird for this arc to be wrapping up. It'll take some adjusting to go back to reading a (relatively) normal story.

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

5867249

It'll take some adjusting to go back to reading a (relatively) normal story.

Normal?! What about this story is "normal"?!

I jest, of course.

[Sheendough]

5867258 Remember there's still another anti-Rainbow army in the making.

[Bulbajer]

"Y'all hear that, ponyfolk?!" A Granny Smith shouted, balancing a ceramic bowl on her head. She swung a spatula about in the air. "We're gonna get our freckle pony back!"

The room fanfic filled with thunderous cheer.

[Lightning Bearer]

derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/1/9/206972__safe_rainbow+dash_animated_scrunchy+face_seizure+warning_vibrating.gif

[viofriedsevey]

Holy shit the anticipation is killing me! This is the first arc ive followed updates through, and to be honest, its extremely difficult to not just read the arc all the way through. Atleast dash will finally kiss AJ, though my theory still stands that she wont remember it, or something.

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

5867443 O - kay.

I can't imagine who, but we'll see, I guess.

[Sheendough]

5867493 It involves a certain bird, a pony with a name crisis, an eye and an egomaniac.

[MidnightReflection]

The Breaking Point...

Wait... breaking point...

I think this title is a response to Sharp Quill's comment in the chapter previous.

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

5867595 Okay.

[Fishberry]

Fishberry slams her bunker's hatch shut with a dull metallic thud, and spins the wheel.

She steeples her hooves.

... Proceed.

cdn.meme.am/instances/57451777.jpg

[Salad king]

"A desperate cretin like that has no friends... her or beyond..." Funny that, flim and flam are pretty desperate, and seem have bugger all by their sides.

[Leftover of Saikano]

You have no idea of the oncoming manure storm, Flim and Flam.

Also, love when a quote of my favorite film is relevant.
33.media.tumblr.com/abce3b7c0eafef190a3cf47e8a1274a8/tumblr_nmkk41eKtT1rsiohpo3_400.gif

[Phoenix Kitten]

What is it about Skirts writing that just...squeezes musical cues from my head.
Dash's wings bursting from her clothes for example...

[DrEggnog]

God, even when they're alone Flim and Flam monologue. I swear they're less one note bad in the show.

I did smile at the rousing crowd at the end. My feels keep going up and down. This arc is brilliant and stupid all at once. It's such a clusterfuck.